AUDIO: Ambulance call operator is told ‘f***ing do as you’re told’

Victoria West

The life saving ambulance service has released footage of one of its call operators being verbally abused.

During a four minute conversation, the caller swore at the woman operator 15 times.

Library image.

Although he had called about a genuine medical emergency he directed extremely offensive language at the call handler as she tried to establish the exact location of the emergency.

He can be heard asking the woman operator: “What’s your name Sweetheart,” before telling her “F***ing do as you’re told.”

He goes on to demand to speak to someone else and calls the operator an idiot.

The audio footage has been released by the ambulance service to reveal what call handlers face when they pick up a call.

East of England Ambulance Service regional head of emergency operations centres, Gary Morgan, said: “People often call us in times of distress and deep despair, but that is no excuse for the kind of language we receive from some callers. It is very important that callers listen to the questions they are being asked and answer them clearly, so that we can help them as quickly as possible.”

The trust is also urging people to use the 999 emergency number for the right reasons.

In the last eight months, the service received 999 calls from a woman who asked for help cleaning her toilet, a caller who had found a sick cat in her property, a man who needed help with his passport, a caller who felt sick after he had drank a fizzy drink too fast and a woman who panicked after drinking two energy drinks.

Gary said: “It is extremely disappointing that people continue to call 999 for inappropriate reasons.

“We’d urge them to think twice about calling the emergency ambulance service if it is not a life-threatening or serious medical emergency. We want to help people, and that’s what we’re here to do – but every call we get that isn’t a genuine problem for us is a call which takes away from someone who needs help fast.”